New gambling licenses raise questions for those left out

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission awarded four new gambling licenses Wednesday for proposed casinos in Emmetsburg, Waterloo, Riverside and Worth County. The commission’s action left the four winners happy, but raised some questions about what happens for those who didn’t get a license. Steve Daniel is the chairman of the Mineral City Casino that failed to win a license for Fort Dodge. Daniel isn’t optimistic about the chances of getting another project that would boost the economy like a casino. He says, “We’ll keep right on trying, but we’re gonna flounder like we have been. You know, I mean it’s, it’s hard to bring, it’s hard to bring businesses and companies to an area where there isn’t good entertainment venues.” there.” Palo Alto County had two groups vying for a gambling license. Rose Reit is with the group that won a license and says it was evident right away there wouldn’t be any hard feelings. She says, “We’ve already spoken to the other board, all of us have and got congratulations and hugs and good wishes. Everybody feels Palo Alto came out on top today.” Don Hoth of the Blackhawk County Gaming Association saw his group become the winner over two other groups who wanted to put a casino in Waterloo. He says, “Hopefully why the community will get healed. That we’ll get back together. We’ve arguments in the past, and disagreements in the past, on various things that have happened in the community and we’ve always come back together. And we will on this one.”